Subsonic maneuvering effectiveness of high-performance aircraft that employ quasi-static shape change devices

Abstract

This paper represents an initial study on the use of quasi- static shape change devices in aircraft maneuvering. The macroscopic effects and requirements for these devices in flight control are the focus of this study. Groups of devices are postulated to replace the conventional leading- edge flap (LEF) and the all-moving wing tip (AMT) on the tailless LMTAS-ICE configuration. The maximum quasi-static shape changes are 13.8% and 7.7% of the wing section thickness for the LEF and AMT replacement devices, respectively. A computational fluid dynamics panel code is used to determine the control effectiveness of groups of these devices. A preliminary design of a wings-leveler autopilot is presented. Initial evaluation at 0.6 Mach at 15,000 ft. altitude is made through batch simulation. Results show small disturbance stability is achieved, however, an increase in surface deflection is needed to offset five degrees of sideslip. This only applied to the specific device group studied, encouraging future research on optimal device placement.